George e



(No Model.)

G. E. RING.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

N0. 396,766. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

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GEORGE E. RING, OF VERMONT, ILLINOIS.

TQNGUE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,766, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed October 5, 888. Serial No. 287,349. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vermont, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in tongue-supports for vehicles; and it consists of the peculiar construction and combination of devices, as will be hereinafter fully de scribed and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive attachment for holding the tongue of avehicle in an elevated position when the horses are detached therefrom, which attachment is arranged out of the way of the doubletree, and is provided with means for varying the tension or strength of the spring for holding the tongue raised, so that the spring can be adapted to tongues of different weight or its tension can be increased when it becomes weakened through use.

In the accom iianying drawin Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a vehicle with my improved tongue support applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line [C a: of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denole corresponding parts in all the figures, A is the front axle; B, the hounds, which are fixed to the axle in the usual way; (,3, the head-block arranged above the axle and hounds and also fixed thereto, and D the tongue.

The parts are constructed and arranged in the ordinary well-known manner. The tongue is provided with short auxiliary hounds E E, which are lixed at their front ends to the tongue at an intermediate point of its length, and at their rear ends are connected together and to the rear extremity of the tongue by a cross or tie bar, e. These auxiliary hounds and the tongue are pivotally connected to the front ends of the hounds B by a stout rod or shaft, F, which passes through said hounds B E and the tongue, so that the latter can swing in a vertical plane, and the tongue is normally held in a raised or elevated position above the ground when the horses are detached therefrom by a spring, G, which is attached in a peculiar manner to the tongue and the head-block as I will now proceed to describe. This spring G is of the coiled pattern or class, and arranged in a horizon- 6o tal position between the rear portion of the tongue and the head-block. To the rear end of this coiled spring is fixed a threaded pin or bolt, g, that passes horizontally through a suitable aperture in a vertical plate, g, that is fixed to the front face of the head-block C 011 horizontal posts 9 which posts throw said plate a short distance outward from the headblock sufficient to permit a nut, y to be screwed on the rear end'of the threaded pin or bolt 6, and to permit the nut to be manipulated to move said pin or bolt and thereby increase or slacken the spring, as may be found necessary or desirable.

A clevis, H, is fixed to the front end of the coiled spring, and the free end of this clevis is bifurcated at h and arranged between the upper parallel ends of a pair of bent straps or plates, I I, which are fixed at their lower ends to the hounds E in a very rigid manner. A bolt, 2', passes horizontally through the bifurcated ends of the clevis and the upper ends of the straps or plates, to securely connect the front end of the spring with the tongue at a point in advance of the rod or shaft F, so that the spring will draw on the tongue when the horses are detached therefrom and hold the same in an elevated position.

To relieve the bolt and the straps or plates 0 I I from undue strain and avoid the danger of breaking or displacing said parts or of detaching the clevis from the spring, I provide a longitudinal brace, J, which is arranged longitudinally of the tongue and between the latter and the spring, so as to be out of the way and compactly arranged. The rear end of this brace is fixed to the tongue, as at j, and the front end thereof is bent upwardly and flattened out into an eye, 70, that fits between the bifurcated arms h of the clevis, to adapt the coupling bolt or pin 1' to pass therethrough, and thereby firmly brace the straps, the bolt, and clevis, and materially increase the strength thereof.

All of the parts of the attachment are compactly arranged, so as to take up very little space, and they are located in rear of the donbletree, to avoid interfering therewith and be entirely out of the way.

The operation and advantages of. my invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art to which it relates.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a tongue-support, the combination, with the pivoted tongue and the head-block, of a horizontal coiled sprin g having a threaded pin or bolt fixed to its rear end, a plate fixed to the head-block and supported on the fixed posts, a nut fitted on the threaded pin and bearing against the plate to move said bolt endwise and Vary the tension on the spring, and the fixed plates on the tongue to which the front end of the spring is connected, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a tongue-support, the combination, with a pivoted tongue and a head-block, of a coiled horizontal spring, a clevis fixed to the front end of the spring, a pair of vertical plates fixed to the tongue and having the front bifurcated end of the clevis arranged between the upper ends thereof, a longitudinal brace arranged below said spring, an d having its rear end fixed to the tongue and its front end arranged in the bifurcated end of the clevis, a coupling-bolt passing through the vertical plates, the clevis, and brace, a threaded pin secured to the rear end of the coiled spring, and a nut fitted on said pin and bearing against a fixed plate on the headblock, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

G. E. RING. \Vitnesses:

'W. H. DERBY, S. BOGUE. 

